The SES-10 satellite has been successfully launched onboard a flight-proven SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre, Florida.
SES-10 is the first geostationary commercial satellite to ever launch on a flight-proven first-stage rocket booster.
SES-10 has a Ku-band payload of 55 36MHz transponder equivalents, of which 27 are incremental, and is the first SES satellite wholly dedicated to providing service to Latin America. It will replace capacity currently provided by other SES satellites at 67 degrees West, as well as bring additional capacity to Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
In accordance with an agreement with the Andean Community (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru), the satellite will operate as the latter’s Simón Bolivar 2, providing satellite capacity for each Andean member state.
Commenting on the launch, Martin Halliwell, CTO Officer at SES, said: “The successful launch of SES-10 on SpaceX’s first ever mission using a flight-proven rocket is opening up a new era of spaceflight. We are proud to have partnered with SpaceX on this journey of innovating and using reusable rockets that will make access to space more efficient in terms of cost and manifest management.
“The additional capacity offered by SES-10 is ideal for providing additional TV services with better picture quality as well as faster broadband services – both of which will be welcomed by millions of people throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.”
Gwynne Shotwell, president and COO at SpaceX, added: “We are thrilled to have achieved the successful launch of a flight proven Falcon 9. This is an historic milestone on the path to complete and rapid reusability.
“We are pleased to have accomplished this milestone with SES, which has been a strong supporter of SpaceX and innovation over the years.”
